Software Engineers in Southampton, United Kingdom

We are looking for multiple talented and purpose‑driven Software Engineers up to Senior level to help build the autonomous marine systems that will define the future of maritime operations, joining a team that develops and operates world‑leading Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Autonomous Surface Vehicles (USVs) used in some of the most demanding, data‑scarce and high‑consequence environments on the planet.

You’ll contribute directly to the real‑time control, safety, autonomy and mission execution at the heart of our platforms - pioneering technology that radically improves the security and prosperity of our customers. Working at the intersection of advanced robotics and live field operations, you’ll help deliver reliable, high‑performance software that stands up to the harshest conditions, enabling us to push the boundaries of what uncrewed systems can do.

What you will do

• Developing and refining real-time control systems for high-speed autonomous surface and underwater vehicles
• Writing reliable software for navigation, mission execution, fault management, and sensor integration
• Designing communications interfaces (serial, satellite, acoustic) and managing edge cases like low bandwidth or lost links
• Building safety-critical subsystems including fallback modes, health monitoring, and emergency handling
• Working closely with field teams to test, iterate, and validate software under operational conditions
• Participating in design reviews, simulations, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and sea trials
• Integrating new sensors and equipment with our C2 system

Who you are

• Strong proficiency in modern C++ (C++11 or later), ideally within safety- or mission-critical applications.
• Experience with real-time or embedded systems (e.g. RTOS, bare metal, or Linux-based platforms)
• Familiarity with Linux development workflows, and Git.
• Proven ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary engineering team
• Strong sense of ownership: you take initiative, simplify where possible, and follow through on commitments
• Resilience and adaptability: you stay focused when things change, fail, or need to be reworked
• Commitment to safety and quality: you understand the system-level impact of your code and act accordingly

Desirable

• Experience with ROS (Robot Operating System), including ROS1 and ROS2, for robotic control and sensor integration.
• Understanding of navigation, control systems, and sensor fusion
• Experience with serial and low-bandwidth communications (e.g. RS-232/485, acoustic, satellite)
• Knowledge of geodetic calculations or coordinate transformation systems
• Familiarity with DCCL or similar compact data encoding standards
• Field experience in deploying, testing, or troubleshooting autonomous systems in operational environments

Given the nature of the work, this role requires you to obtain and maintain the appropriate level of UK national security clearance. You must be willing and able to undergo the necessary security vetting process, and continued employment in the role may be subject to maintaining the required clearance. Security vetting will be conducted in accordance with the requirements and standards set by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV). Further information on UK security clearance levels, eligibility, and the vetting process can be found on the UK Government website: United Kingdom Security Vetting: Applicant